Seeing Things in Chacala

These are poor photos of a tree in Chacala, one which I have never seen before. Actually, it’s the blossoms I have never noticed before. Chapina, the woman who lives under this tree, told me the blossoms are actually from another plant growing up through the tree. But I couldn’t see that separate plant, so who knows.Esparanza is extremely proud of this light purple rose, which grows in a pot next to her home on the beach in Chacala.

And this is a deep purple flower that seems to blossom annually, on a small shrub in Aurora's garden. It looks like a mini-purple maple. And I haven't been successful at photographing it. Today, when I was walking home from Majahua, I was amazed to see how many plantainas or Musa, or whatever, where growing in the wild. Majahua is little hotel in the jungle at the south end of the beach, and there are many birds, butterflies, and wild plants there.

I stopped at my landlady’s restaurant to rest and get some tortillas, hot off the grill. Lupe and I went out back and looked at her little garden there. Some of the desert rose plants I have given her were looking great, but no blossoms. Probably because they were less than an hour of sun a day. She gave me two plants to bring to the garden at this house. I don’t know their names, and neither did she.And we admired her cacti.Walking over to Majahua this morning, I had a strange and pleasant visual experience. I was walking thru the palm grove, and suddenly I was very aware of each object as I approached, came even with, and each of the many plants that surround me: palms, grass, shrubs, and so on. It was such an odd experience. It took several minutes to think of a description of the visual effect

It was kind of like seeing the world thru those little flip books they used to make. When you flipped the pages with your thumb the little images, like a juggler, or a dog leaping, for instance, seemed to move about. Or seeing a new change of perspective, as the plants kind of move past each other . The change of perspective happened every 1/10th of a second, or something like that. A very odd and pleasant experience.It happened again when I was walking down the little back trail from Majahua to the streambed. Very odd experience. Actually very beautiful and kind of serene feeling. I can’t even think of how to describe it. The light was wonderful. I don’t know if it was the result of brain damage from whacking my head, or just one of the those amazing moments in life.